04:41The Olympic triathlon events finally went ahead in Paris on Wednesday, having been postponed by a day due to concerns over water quality in the River Seine. Footage shows fans - and even the father of one of the competitors - reacting to the temporary cancellation on Tuesday.
'It's not good enough," said Martin Kaindl, dad of Austrian triathlete Tjebbe. "It is now really hard for the athletes to prepare…They are preparing for four years for these events, and it is a scandal that is not good for the Olympic Games."
German firefighter and triathlon fan Daniel Walterbusch said it was a 'shame' but that the health of athletes had to come first. French fan Melanie Pascal added that the authorities "knew that at some point it could be cancelled" but that she believed that in the end "they'll take the risk".
On Tuesday, Paris Games Executive Director of Sports Aurelie Merle said she was 'hopeful' the Olympic triathlon could go ahead as she faced a media backlash.
"If the water isn't safe today, how can it be safe tomorrow?" she was asked by reporters.
"We know that the sun and the heat have a very strong impact on the quality of the water, and that's why we feel because we're so close this morning that we can hopefully believe that tomorrow morning the water quality will be better," she replied.
Training sessions were also cancelled for the triathlon on Sunday and Monday following reviews of the water quality, which representatives from Paris 2024 and the international triathlon federation said did not provide a safe environment.
The River Seine was the focal point of Friday's opening ceremony, with athletes parading on boats despite heavy rain. Just two weeks ago, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo swam in the river as part of efforts to showcase the pollution clean-up, despite tests back then reporting that the water quality remained unsafe for humans during periods of heavy rain.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over 100 years due to the pollution, but the Paris Games invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in the clean-up. It includes a giant underground water storage basin, renovations to the sewers and upgrades to wastewater treatment. The Summer Games take place from July 26-August 11.
'It's a scandal'- Olympic triathlon finally goes ahead amid Seine pollution row
The Olympic triathlon events finally went ahead in Paris on Wednesday, having been postponed by a day due to concerns over water quality in the River Seine. Footage shows fans - and even the father of one of the competitors - reacting to the temporary cancellation on Tuesday.
'It's not good enough," said Martin Kaindl, dad of Austrian triathlete Tjebbe. "It is now really hard for the athletes to prepare…They are preparing for four years for these events, and it is a scandal that is not good for the Olympic Games."
German firefighter and triathlon fan Daniel Walterbusch said it was a 'shame' but that the health of athletes had to come first. French fan Melanie Pascal added that the authorities "knew that at some point it could be cancelled" but that she believed that in the end "they'll take the risk".
On Tuesday, Paris Games Executive Director of Sports Aurelie Merle said she was 'hopeful' the Olympic triathlon could go ahead as she faced a media backlash.
"If the water isn't safe today, how can it be safe tomorrow?" she was asked by reporters.
"We know that the sun and the heat have a very strong impact on the quality of the water, and that's why we feel because we're so close this morning that we can hopefully believe that tomorrow morning the water quality will be better," she replied.
Training sessions were also cancelled for the triathlon on Sunday and Monday following reviews of the water quality, which representatives from Paris 2024 and the international triathlon federation said did not provide a safe environment.
The River Seine was the focal point of Friday's opening ceremony, with athletes parading on boats despite heavy rain. Just two weeks ago, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo swam in the river as part of efforts to showcase the pollution clean-up, despite tests back then reporting that the water quality remained unsafe for humans during periods of heavy rain.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over 100 years due to the pollution, but the Paris Games invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in the clean-up. It includes a giant underground water storage basin, renovations to the sewers and upgrades to wastewater treatment. The Summer Games take place from July 26-August 11.
The Olympic triathlon events finally went ahead in Paris on Wednesday, having been postponed by a day due to concerns over water quality in the River Seine. Footage shows fans - and even the father of one of the competitors - reacting to the temporary cancellation on Tuesday.
'It's not good enough," said Martin Kaindl, dad of Austrian triathlete Tjebbe. "It is now really hard for the athletes to prepare…They are preparing for four years for these events, and it is a scandal that is not good for the Olympic Games."
German firefighter and triathlon fan Daniel Walterbusch said it was a 'shame' but that the health of athletes had to come first. French fan Melanie Pascal added that the authorities "knew that at some point it could be cancelled" but that she believed that in the end "they'll take the risk".
On Tuesday, Paris Games Executive Director of Sports Aurelie Merle said she was 'hopeful' the Olympic triathlon could go ahead as she faced a media backlash.
"If the water isn't safe today, how can it be safe tomorrow?" she was asked by reporters.
"We know that the sun and the heat have a very strong impact on the quality of the water, and that's why we feel because we're so close this morning that we can hopefully believe that tomorrow morning the water quality will be better," she replied.
Training sessions were also cancelled for the triathlon on Sunday and Monday following reviews of the water quality, which representatives from Paris 2024 and the international triathlon federation said did not provide a safe environment.
The River Seine was the focal point of Friday's opening ceremony, with athletes parading on boats despite heavy rain. Just two weeks ago, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo swam in the river as part of efforts to showcase the pollution clean-up, despite tests back then reporting that the water quality remained unsafe for humans during periods of heavy rain.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over 100 years due to the pollution, but the Paris Games invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in the clean-up. It includes a giant underground water storage basin, renovations to the sewers and upgrades to wastewater treatment. The Summer Games take place from July 26-August 11.